Evolution of Love 2

Features of mysticism

"True mysticism, as I understand it, implies that the soul is successively awakened ('prabuddha'), and fully awakened ('suprabuddha'), so that the sense of exclusiveness pertaining to each of the normal human states, viz, waking ('jagrat'), dream ('svapna') and deep sleep ('susupti'), is supplemented by a state of unbroken self-awareness which presupposes the integrations of consciousness ('turiya'). The awakening of the soul involves as its concomitant the disappearance of the sense of alienness of the so-called other world and causes the soul to turn inward, first from the object to the light which shines upon it, then from the light to the subject, the source of illumination, thirdly from the subject to the Transcendental Consciousness and Power, and finally from this, back to the Central Being which stands behind all manifestations. This is the usual process. It is assumed that all powers lead back to the Self-Conscious Will ('iccha-sakti') which when turned outwards controls immediately the entire machinery of the cosmic movement, viz, the movement of 'jnana' and 'kriya'. This represents for the 'yogin' a state of mastery or lordship ('aisvarya'), a state of perfection implying full control of the outgoing forces. This state represents the majesty of the soul which is now within the Divine Circle, and reigns supreme over the outer creation.
The above state leads on to the higher state of absolute resignation to the Divine Will. In other words, the human will at this point unconditionally surrenders to the Divine Will, or in a sense becomes one with it. In the Tantrika phraseology, the soul of the 'yogin', now in close embrace with the Divine, enjoys the bliss of union('ananda') and supreme self-realization ('cit') - the whole process representing the mystery of Divine Transformation which is beyond time, space and the categories of empirical consciousness. The consciousness of this state involves a blessed union of 'para-jnana' and 'para-bhakti', or 'cit' and 'ananda', which is universally and eternally the twofold heritage of every true mystic. Neither the senses nor the reason of man can aspire to this ineffable condition which Divine Grace alone can promise and fulfill.
From what has been said about it, it is clear that to an ordinary human being the mystic consciousness cannot mean much beyond what he can comprehend through his intellect. To some, it may vaguely mean nothing more than a state of supra-normal consciousness through which some extraordinary inner powers reveal themselves, ranging from the so-called occult powers to the capacity for having certain exalted vision and similar experiences. The consciousness to which these powers are relevant may undoubtedly be associated with the faith and the quest of a pilgrim, but it is not mystic at all. Mystic consciousness begins with the realization of the unity behind the diversities of the material world. Higher up, the diversities begin to melt away and the One Undifferentiated Whole refulgently reveals itself. It is a consciousness in which the physical being reveals. It is a consciousness in which the physical being and all other worldly ties cease to have any validity at all. The glorious, self-luminous Unity reveals within Itself both the seeker and the sought in union, and yet each retains its distinct entity. It is a state in which man and God unite themselves in a close embrace and realize their oneness, showing thus that one is verily inseparable from the other. Beyond this is the Transcendent and the All-embracing One. In Christianity, the Three Persons in the Trinity, separate from each other, represent One single Divine Substance. In the 'Bhagavata' culture of ancient India, the four 'vyuhas', though mutually distinct, represent one single Divine Substance. The relation between me and Thee is eternally existent in the union, though it is beyond time and above 'maya'. This is a state of true 'yoga' in which, as the 'Gita' says, the seeker sees his Beloved in everything: 'yo mam pasyati sarvatra', and at the same time, he sees everything in his Beloved: 'sarvam ca mayi pasyati'. It is a state of 'para-bhati'. Beyond this is the Supreme Realization of what in the 'Agamas' is described as 'Purnahamta' in which the soul of the seeker, now one with the Divine, realizes itself in an infinite variety of modes and ways.
There are different ways of approach to this Supreme Experience and there are infinite shades of differences among the various ways. The Supreme Experience is certainly one and the same and yet there is a characteristic quiddity ('visesa') in each individual, which has an abiding spiritual value. The Divine Presence may be realized at 'that' ('tat'), as a Living Light permeating all and subsisting beyond all. It may be realized as 'Thee' and 'Me' alone. Thus It reveals itself as Third Person as 'That' ('tat'), or as Second Person as 'Thee' ('tvam'), or as First Person as 'I' ('aham'). there is an Impersonal Presence also which is at once elusive and and really magnificent. In each case, the soul exists in a state of indifference ('udasina'), or as the closest companion, or as one's very self. In the Impersonal, however, there is no trace of I - even the Integral 'I' ('purna aham') is absent there. And yet Awareness persists. It is the same as the 'bhasa' of the 'Sakta Agamas', beyond the 'anakya'. Even here there is a 'Beyond" which cannot be called present, yet which 'is', of which we hear so much in Jewish 'Kabala'. As a matter of fact, even the 'Beyond' or 'Beyond-Beyond' is also within the orbit of the absolute ('akhanda')."